On Guard
Derya stood still as Bailey pulled tight the padded corset. She hated this protective clothing and didn’t need it, but it was necessary. After wearing dresses since she arrived, wearing britches with padding fastened over her upper thighs to midriff, and tall, soft boots, left her feeling oddly exposed. How quickly things changed one’s perception of the world.
“Are you sure about this?” Bailey asked.
“Did you forget that even though I am no longer truly a wolf, I am also not human? And it’s not like she can kill me. Hopefully, maybe you get to do this only once or twice. Magic always has a price.”
“It had a price, I am half-elf, and I aged.”
“But this morning, you look more like your old self, so the effect is temporary.”
“The servants are more scared of me now than ever,” Bailey admitted. “One of them refused to come into my room this morning until I had left. I wish I could hide it like you,” Bailey said, cinching the last two loops.